Having been arrested in Jerusalem and then sent for trial before the Roman Governor Felix, Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea. Five days later, Ananias the High Priest, the elders, and a certain orator named Tertullus came to testify against Paul. Tertullus began by praising Felix and then accused Paul of being a plague, a creator of dissension, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Paul was charged with trying to profane the temple before being seized by the commander Lysias. The other Jews all corroborated Tertullus’s allegations.

Paul then made his defense. He first said that it had been only twelve days since he came to Jerusalem and during that time he was never found disputing with anyone in the temple or inciting the crowd in the city. In fact, he affirmed that the Jews simply could not prove the things of which they were accusing him. However, he did confess that according to the way which they called a sect, he worshipped the God of his fathers, believing all things which were written in the Law and the Prophets. After reviewing the events in Jerusalem, he concluded that the reason why he was being tried was because he had cried out before the council, “Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.”

When Felix heard these things, he adjourned the proceedings until Lysias could come and give his testimony. So Paul was kept in prison but given liberty to have his friends come to visit him. Felix was apparently interested in religion, so he and his wife Drusilla sent for Paul and listened to him preach about faith in Christ. As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come, it made Felix afraid and caused him to tremble, but he did nothing about it. Hoping that Paul would give him money to be released, he continued hearing him, but wanting to show the Jews a favor, he kept Paul bound until he was replaced as governor two years later.

Questions

Where was Paul imprisoned awaiting trial before the Roman Governor?

What was the Governor’s name?

Who was the High Priest who came to accuse Paul?

How is Tertullus described?

How many days had Paul been in Jerusalem before being arrested?

Why did Paul say that he was on trial?

Why did the Governor adjourn the proceedings?

What was the Governor’s reaction to Paul’s preaching?

Why did the Governor keep listening to Paul even though he did nothing about it?

Center School, a one-room schoolhouse in the Southwest Allen County School District, Fort Wayne, IN, was originally built in 1893 on the corner of what is now Aboite Center Road and Homestead Road as the first public school in the district. This was the center of Aboite Township, hence its name. In 1946 consolidation of small schools in Indiana was on the rise. This was the year Center School was retired from the township school system but reopened as a site for history classes in 1969. In June of 1993, the schoolhouse was carefully moved 3/10th of a mile east on Aboite Center Road. The Old Center School was then restored in the summer of 1995. This restoration won an Archie Award from the Arch Foundation that year. The schoolhouse is constructed of local brick. The slate roof and copper ridge caps were once the base to the old school bell. Inside, the original flooring, oak woodwork, and arches have been restored to its original condition in the late 1800s. Today, students still attend the one-room schoolhouse to reflect on the past and learn about Fort Wayne, Indiana, and world history. The Southwest community, an area rich in the tradition of education and learning, has taken great pains to preserve the Old Center School. This one-room schoolhouse was the foundation of public education in Southwest Allen County.

Henry Louis Reginald De Koven (April 3, 1859 – January 16, 1920) was an American music critic, conductor, and prolific composer, particularly of comic operas. who helped establish the style of American light opera. De Koven was born in Middletown, CT, on April 3, 1859. In 1870, when Reginald was eleven, the family moved to England, where he received the majority of his education. He graduated from St John’s College of Oxford University in England in 1879 and undertook various musical studies at Stuttgart, Germany, with Speidel and with Lebert and Pruckner. He studied composition at Frankfurt, Germany with Dr. Hauff, and after staying there for six months moved on to Florence, Italy, where he studied singing with Vanuccini. Study in operatic composition followed, first with Richard Genée, in Vienna, Austria, and then with Léo Delibes, in Paris, France.

De Koven returned to the U.S. in 1882 to live in Chicago, IL, where he worked in a brokerage firm until his marriage to Anna Farwell, and later lived in New York City, NY. In 1883, De Koven started a dry-goods business that became very successful. With the steady income, he was able to return to music. He was able to find scope for his wide musical knowledge as a critic with Chicago’s Evening Post, Harper’s Weekly, and the New York World. Between 1887 and 1913, De Koven composed twenty light operas, beginning with The Begum in1887 (libretto by Harry B. Smith), in addition to hundreds of songs (over 450), orchestral works, two piano sonatas, and ballets. The following year he again teamed with Smith to compose the opera Don Quixote. While Victor Herbert’s operettas were heavily influenced by those of continental operetta composers, De Koven’s works were patterned after Gilbert and Sullivan.

From 1902 to 1904, De Koven conducted the Washington, D.C. symphony, which he helped organize. His wife, Anna de Koven, was a well-known socialite, novelist and amateur historian who published her works under the name “Mrs. Reginald de Koven.” De Koven’s greatest success was Robin Hood, also with libretto by Harry B. Smith, which premiered in Chicago in 1890 but was performed all across the country and received more than 3,000 performances. It played in New York at the Knickerbocker Theatre and in London, in 1891, and at New York’s Garden Theatre in 1892, and it continued to be revived for many years. Many of his songs became popular, especially “Oh Promise Me” from Robin Hood, with words by Clement Scott, which was one of the biggest song successes of its time and remains a wedding standard.

De Koven’s other operettas included The Fencing Master (1892, Casino Theatre, New York); Rob Roy, first produced in Detroit, MI, 1894; The Highwayman (1897, Herald Square Theatre, New York); Maid Marian (1901); The Little Duchess (1901, Casino Theatre, New York); and The Beauty Spot (1909, Herald Square Theatre). The music press doubted that De Koven could compose serious operas. His opera The Canterbury Pilgrims, with a libretto by poet and dramatist Percy MacKaye, premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1917. He composed a second opera, Rip Van Winkle, also with a libretto by MacKaye, but died on Jan. 16, 1920, in Chicago, IL, before it was performed in 1920 in Chicago. Important though he was as a composer of music for the American theatre, DeKoven’s work was subsequently overshadowed by his successors who wrote in a new style. Few of his operas and operettas have been revived and his reputation rests on the considerable success he enjoyed in his lifetime.

My collection includes the following work by Reginald De Koven:

Robin Hood: Complete Opera

—material selected, adapted, and edited from several different sources

“I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:1). The word “extol” means “To praise in the highest terms; exalt; laud.” The Psalm expresses several reasons to praise, exalt, laud, and bless God in the highest terms. Based on the first eleven verses of this Psalm, Richard Mant wrote a majestic hymn, which is usually set to a lovely melody attributed to Christian F. Witt. It should be in every hymnbook published by brethren, but, alas, it is not (except three stanzas in Hymns for Worship Revised, set to a woefully mismatched tune).

Take the poem and put your Bible open to Psalm 145 beside it so that as you read the words you can compare the hymn to the Psalm.

(vs. 1-2)

God, my King, Thy might confessing,

Ever will I bless Thy name;

Day to day Thy throne addressing,

Still will I Thy praise proclaim.

(vs. 3-4)

Honor great our God befitteth.

Who His majesties can reach?

Age to age His works transmitteth;

Age to age His power shall teach.

(vs. 5-6)

They shall talk of all Thy glory,

On Thy might and greatness dwell,

Sing of Thy dread acts the story,

And Thy deeds of wonder tell.

(v. 7)

Nor shall fail from memory’s treasure

Deeds of love and mercy wrought:

Deeds of love surpassing measure,

Deeds of mercy passing thought.

(vs. 8-9)

Full of pity and compassion,

Slow to anger, vast in love,

God is good to all creation,

And His works His goodness prove.

(vs. 10-11)

All Thy works, O Lord, shall bless Thee;

Thee shall all Thy saints adore.

King supreme shall they confess Thee,

And proclaim Thy sovereign power.”

There now. How is that for really offering up “the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15)? In my estimation, it surely beats a lot of the currently faddish pop-culture “praise songs” which simply talk about how “I feel” about the Lord. We could certainly use a lot more hymns in our books like this one!

Currie. NV, is an unincorporated community in Elko County, Nevada, United States. It is often considered a ghost town, and its population is around 20. The town is named after Joseph Currie, who started a ranch there in 1885. Discovery of copper in the neighboring town of Ely prompted the building of a railroad from Ely to the Southern Pacific main-line, at Cobre, NV. Currie is the midpoint between the two towns. On March 22, 1906, the first passenger train from Cobre to Currie was operated. Between 1906 and 1941, approximately 4.6 million passengers passed through Currie on rail. Eventually, a new school was built to replace the old one. The Ely copper smelters were closed on June 20, 1983 and the railroad closed one day later. The major portion of the town consists of Goshute Mercantile, the bar, adjoining house, cabins, RV park, garage, historic buildings, and corrals. There are also the Northern Nevada Railroad, Elko County School District Currie Elementary school, Lear Ranch, and the Nevada Highway Department. The new Currie school with the blue roof closed in 2001. The last teacher was Jackie Nordling, who had previously taught at the Ruby Valley school. The trailer behind the new school was the teacher’s residence.

Michelle Painter is a wife and best friend to Bobby, a mother to four amazing sons, and a former public school teacher called by God to home school. She considers home schooling a challenge, a privilege, and an undreamt of blessing. She prays that others may glean encouragement, empowerment, and blessings from what she writes. She would love to hear from you at her blog, http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/BlessingsUndreamtOf/

Do We Have to Give Up Our Dreams?
by Michelle Painter, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer (Aug. 8, 2011)

Several months ago, I heard a surprising comment that indicated that home educating meant that we, as mothers and fathers, had to sacrifice our own dreams to provide the home schooling opportunity to our children. Since that time, I have pondered the question, “Does home schooling really mean we have to give up our dreams?” So, in examining this issue, I sought answers from the Bible. Though studying, I’ve been blessed with four important revelations that encouraged my own spirit regarding any former dreams of my own. I pray that they encourage you as well.

Currie, NV, in southern Elko County, named for Joseph H. Currie who began a ranch here in 1885, was a stage and freight stop. Discovery of copper ore bodies in Ely prompted the construction of a railroad from Ely, White Pine County, to the Southern Pacific main-line about 20 miles south of Montello. The newly created town at the main-line was named Cobre, Spanish for copper. The mid-way station was at Currie. The first passenger train from Cobre to Currie operated on May 22, 1906. On March 30, 1908, Earl Reynolds with his newlywed wife Leona began a new telegraph office and railroad agency station at Currie. In the article “Memories of Currie, Nevada” by Anna Leona Reynolds is the following description of the school: “My husband wrote to Carson City and was told that 11 children were enough to have a school … The state sent men to build a school not far from the Phalan place. We could not, by hook or crook, get but nine children, so we imported an Indian, his wife and two children. That made the 11 needed…The new building turned out to be our civic center for all dances, parties and election boards. When we had any of these events we just moved the desks out. It was lovely – a nice building and furnishings for those days.”